Over a century ago, Rabindranath Tagore wrote in his Gitanjali:
"O my unfortunate land, those you have humiliated,
You shall be equal to them in humiliation!"
He profoundly emphasized human rights, reiterating that "You shall be equal to them in humiliation." Tagore was referring to the class that, in his words, has been "deprived of human rights."
But has the history of depriving people of their rights changed even after more than a hundred years? Reading this remarkable poem, one might feel as if its every word and sentence keeps resurfacing throughout history. Observing the activities of the developing world, it may seem that Rabindranath Tagore is still alive, and witnessing the state of third-world countries in the 21st century, he has just penned this poem! If this is our current reality, it means we are still clinging to the very fabric of the time when this poem was written. Over a century has passed, the Earth has undergone numerous geographical changes, yet the collective consciousness of third-world people seems largely unchanged. That is why the poem "O My Unfortunate Land" remains relevant across generations—a tragic reality for third-world nations.
Let us try to understand spiritual growth in simpler terms. In Bukhari Sharif (Volume 1), the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:
"Know that there is a part in the body that, if it remains sound, the whole body remains sound; and if it is corrupted, the whole body becomes corrupt. Know that this part is the heart."
The Arabic word Qalb literally means heart or soul, which governs conscience. If the conscience is refined, the entire human body prospers; if it deteriorates, the entire human body suffers. Conscience must be guided by righteousness, honesty, and truth. An evolved conscience fosters elevated thinking, where all limitations dissolve, and life progresses beyond constraints. True wisdom requires freedom from narrow-mindedness, as enlightenment cannot flourish within confinement.
These aspects of spiritual growth are directly related to good governance, justice, human rights, protection of the righteous, suppression of wrongdoing, and maintaining peace and order. The current state of these values in third-world nations needs no further elaboration. We can once again recall Rabindranath’s poem, where he writes:
"Those you push down will pull you down as well.
Those you leave behind will drag you backward.
Those you hide in the darkness of ignorance
Will build an unbridgeable gap between you and prosperity.
You shall be equal to them in humiliation."
Through the essence of Gitanjali, Tagore portrayed the plight of third-world nations. But will our condition remain the same forever? Over a century has passed, and perhaps it will take a few more centuries to bring about true positive change. Yet, change will come. To accelerate this transformation, we must awaken our conscience and eliminate all forms of hypocrisy. Hypocrisy corrupts the conscience—and with it, everything else.
So, when will we finally realize these fundamental truths?
